1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) has been maintaining and paying the electricity for a number of Northampton Borough Council (NBC) and Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH) owned street lights for a number of years. NCC propose to hand the 607 street lights back to NBC/NPH to manage and maintain. Any that are not accepted will be removed by NCC at the end of September 2017.

1.2 Following the Overview and Scrutiny report in July 2015 and the Cabinet response in January 2017, an Officer/Member working group was established which is chaired by the Deputy Leader, Cllr Phil Larratt. The working group has met on five occasions with the next planned for 18 September 2017.

1.3 The lighting in question sits on a number of parks and housing estate areas. The ownership of the 607 lighting columns breakdown is as follows:

| Ownership | Number | Percentage | |-----------------|--------|------------| | NBC Assets | 179 | 29.5% | | NPH | 428 | 70.5% |

The responsibility for the management and maintenance of the lights will fall as per the percentages above.

1.4 This paper provides an update on progress made and the next steps.

2. UPDATE

2.1 The key responsibility of the working group is to identify, monitor and evaluate current usage of all NBC owned Street Lighting. The working group will also oversee the transfer of those street lights which are owned by NBC but currently managed and maintained by NCC. A number of these street lights are on NPH land and discussions are underway regarding the management and maintenance of these.

2.2 NBC/NPH are keen to ensure that the street lighting asset list is accurate and comprehensive. Some assessment work therefore is necessary. To help to identify any street lighting that NBC may not be aware of, a communication has been composed which has been sent to the NBC and NCC Ward Councillors, the two Business Improvement Districts (town centre and Brackmills), Parish Councils and local groups. This states that NBC are in the process of updating their street lighting asset list and that their assistance may be required in terms of identification of street lights which may need repairing/replacing. Some responses have already been received from these emails and relevant work is being carried out.

2.3 NCC attended the last working group to outline their current position as follows:

- NCC have undertaken an audit of their street lighting and will no longer be managing, maintaining or paying the electricity for any street lighting that is not on their land or owned by them.
- NCC have a deadline of the end of September 2017 to hand back all of these street lights to the relevant authorities.
- Any which are not on NCC land and are not accepted by the local authorities will remain in their management and will be removed.
- NBC and NPH will need to decide whether or not to accept the transfer which is scheduled for 2 October 2017.
- NBC and NPH will have to manage, maintain and pay the electricity for the street lighting that is accepted from NCC.

2.4 The lighting is situated in a number of housing estate areas and parks. If they were to be removed, this would have a detrimental effect for the tenants of those areas and the visitors to the parks in the darkened hours.

3. NEXT STEPS

3.1 Considering the information in 2.3 and 2.4, a paper is going to Cabinet on Wednesday 13 September with the recommendation that NBC and NPH accept the transfer from NCC and the responsibility for the maintenance and electricity costs for the 607 NBC/NPH owned lighting columns.

3.2 The NBC Owned Street Lighting Group are working on completing a comprehensive asset list which will include all of the NBC/NPH owned lighting. This will also include the lighting to be accepted from NCC and ensure NBC and NPH are maintaining the lighting to the highest standard possible. Following the Cabinet decision, a report will be commissioned to survey all of the NBC owned street lighting, undertake an options appraisal and make any recommendations of energy saving opportunities. as well as any which may need replacing/removing. It is likely that this will bring forward opportunities for an invest to save programme

3.3 A map containing all the NBC and NPH street lights is in the process of being completed which will inform the survey.

4. THE WAY FORWARD

4.1 The information within the survey report and options appraisal will allow NBC and NPH to make an informed decision on the future of each street light. This will include upgrading, removal and replacement. Recommendations from this report will be consulted on with the relevant wards and taken to Cabinet for approval.

4.2 NCC will begin to remove any unwanted street lighting starting at the end of September 2017.

4.3 NBC and NPH to negotiate with a management company to manage and maintain the lighting assets on behalf of NBC and NPH.

4.4 The cost implications arising from the management and maintenance of street lights are yet to be established, however an indicative figure will be reported to Cabinet of £72,500 for the electricity and maintenance costs. Once finalised the cost apportionment will be discussed and finalised with NPH.

4.5 A method to enable the public to report any defects to NBC or its nominated contractor, as may be appropriate, will need to be identified.

5. RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 That Overview & Scrutiny;

1. Note the progress that has been made to date and invites the Director of Regeneration, Enterprise and Planning to submit a further update in due course

2. Endorse the way forward outlined in this briefing.

John Dale Head of Economic Development and Regeneration September 2017